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Jan 8, 2014: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Feb 1, 2013: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3403

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to granting academic credit at state operated institutions of the state university of New York and the senior colleges of the city university of New York to veterans

PURPOSE: Allows the granting of academic credit at state operated institutions to veterans.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds new section 669-e to the education law which states that State operated institutions must recognize courses and award educational credits for courses that were part of a veteran's military training or service if the courses beet the standards of the American Council on Education or equivalent standards for awarding academic credits.

Section 2: Specifies effective date.

JUSTIFICATION: Military service members receive an education each day, whether it is on the battlefield, through training, or through on the job experience. Based on their military experiences and training, service members may have college credit recommendations to apply toward a degree requirement or program of study.

Earning college credit can be accomplished in a number of ways. The military transcript of a service member is recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE), the national accrediting agency, who convenes teams of teaching faculty who travel to military installations to evaluate military training courses and occupation-based skills, knowledge, and abilities. These evaluations are conducted to determine the learning acquired through these experiences. Team members review training materials for programs of instruction, including lesson plans, instructor materials, and examination materials. The evaluators also interview service members, their supervisors, and subject-matter specialists.

Review teams then determine if the demonstrated learning outcomes are equivalent, in part or in whole, to the learning outcomes derived from college level coursework. Equivalencies are then expressed as credit recommendations that are quantified in terms of semester hours and qualified in terms of course titles or academic areas. ACE is the only higher education organization that represents presidents and chancellors of all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions: community colleges and four-year institutions, private and public universities, and nonprofit and for profit colleges. This cross-sector membership enables ACE to serve as higher education's unifying voice.

For more than 60 years, ACE has reviewed and made credit recommendations for thousands of college level courses offered by the military services.

In 1974, ACE started the evaluation of military occupational specialties as well.

Institutions of higher learning operating in New York state often accept the military transcript as a source of transfer credit. They law should be clarified to state that they shall always accept those courses which are certified by ACE as credit-worthy.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2012: S. 3950 - Referred to Higher Education

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall become a law.

Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3403
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 1, 2013
___________

Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to granting academic
credit at state operated institutions of the state university of New
York and the senior colleges of the city university of New York to
veterans
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 669-e
to read as follows:
S 669-E. COURSE CREDIT FOR VETERANS. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,
THE TERM "VETERAN" MEANS A PERSON, MALE OR FEMALE, RESIDENT OF THIS
STATE, WHO HAS SERVED IN THE ACTIVE MILITARY OR NAVAL SERVICE OF THE
UNITED STATES DURING A WAR IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES ENGAGED AND WHO
HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM SUCH SERVICE BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN BY DISHONOR-
ABLE DISCHARGE, OR WHO HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED TO THE RESERVE.
2. EVERY VETERAN WHO IS ENROLLED ON A FULL-TIME BASIS AS AN UNDERGRAD-
UATE STUDENT IN GOOD STANDING, AT AN INSTITUTION WITHIN THE STATE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, SHALL UPON APPLICATION BE GRANTED UP TO SIX ACADEMIC
CREDITS PER YEAR AND SIXTY CREDITS IN THE AGGREGATE TOWARDS HIS OR HER
DEGREE FOR COMPLETION OF COURSES THAT WERE PART OF SUCH VETERAN'S MILI-
TARY TRAINING OR SERVICE IF THE COMPLETED COURSES MEET THE STANDARDS OF
THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION OR ITS EQUIVALENT FOR THE AWARDING OF
ACADEMIC CREDITS. NO FEE, TUITION OR OTHER CHARGE SHALL BE ASSESSED
AGAINST A VETERAN WHO QUALIFIES FOR SUCH CREDIT PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION.
3. THE BOARDS OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY UNIVER-
SITY OF NEW YORK SHALL ADOPT SUCH PROCEDURES AS ARE NECESSARY TO FULLY
IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.

EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05866-01-3

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